Welcome to the world of remote working…
The good news is you no longer have a commute (yay!) and you might be working for yourself (yay again!). The bad news is, your family probably think you’re at home watching This Morning. Here’s how to stay motivated…
Network
Just because you now work remotely, it doesn’t mean your networking days are over. If you’re missing that team environment or need human interaction to stay motivated in your work, networking websites such as meetup.com can really help. You could also find great shared workspaces like The Projects and PLATF9RM in Brighton or WeWork spaces which are dotted across the country/world!
Reduce distractions
Naturally, there are distractions in offices, keyboard tapping, gossip, people coming in and out, etc. But when it comes to remote working there are even more! There’re pets, children, TV and housework to avoid which can be difficult.
Reducing distractions might include reminding people around you that you’re working! One thing I’ve noticed when working remotely is that my friends and family need constant reminders that I’m not just sitting at home watching daytime TV. You’ll notice people calling you throughout the working day, your boyfriend will question why you didn’t do the food shop as you ‘were in all day’ along with so many other mundane requests. These can be super demotivating so try to make it very clear when you’re working and unavailable for a chat.
If social media is your distraction, there are chrome plugins like Newsfeed Eradicator that turn off your Facebook newsfeed and instead show you a motivational/historic quote, genius!
What works for you?
Everyone is different. Much like how Data Analysts are different from Copy Writers, remote workers are a completely different breed to 9-5’ers and each remote worker is different from the next! It’s best to experiment with your working conditions to figure out what works for you.
If you work better at night, work at night! For many, the beauty of remote life is that working hours are not set to just 9-5 (unless required, obviously!).
I need continual background noise to get my brain moving so, while I work I listen to music and the radio, I’ll sit in a busy café, listen to podcasts and even old Disney movies that I’ve seen hundreds of times! You might find you work better in silence or with mellow music playing but my go-to ‘background noise’ is the movie, Matilda!
I think I taught myself this talent (trust me, it’s a talent!) at university while writing essays and simultaneously watching Netflix. The one thing I know I can’t do is have daytime TV on in the background, I can block out most things, but Phillip Schofield is not one of them!
Make a plan and stick to it
Something as simple as writing down 3 things each morning that you want to achieve can keep you on task all day! Keeping note of ongoing and completed tasks will not only keep you on track and motivated but it will also give you an instant checklist if your boss ever calls you out of the blue asking about what you’ve been up to all week! Project management tools like Trello, Asana and Basecamp are great for keeping track of tasks and can really help with communication between remote teams.
Separate work & play
If you aren’t choosing to work in a shared office space and are instead working from home, it’s still a good idea to try and keep your work separate from the rest of your life. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a home office, try and make a point of sitting at a table or somewhere you wouldn’t necessarily be spending time out of work hours. Some people happily work in bed, but if you’re trying to make an effort in motivating yourself, this might not be the best environment. I know Coffee shops aren’t always practical, but they can make a nice change of scenery and kick start your creativity!
Although the dream is to stay in your PJs all day, a simple way to motivate yourself and get your day off to a good start is to get up, showered and dressed (in your comfies, obviously) before starting work. You’ll feel better for it, trust me!
Bonus tip!
Check out the ultimate list of the best remote working software for 2019!
Thanks to new technologies and ever-changing career incentives, remote and flexible working options are becoming increasingly popular. A 2015 AfterCollege Survey reviewed how undergraduate and graduate students viewed potential jobs, it found that a huge 68% wanted jobs where they could work remotely. Looking ahead to a Generation X workforce, the future is remote, and to stay competitive in their industry businesses will need to keep up!
Do you have a top tip for working remotely? Are you a business owner that empowers their staff to work flexibly? We’d love to know! You can find our digital marketing jobs (remote opportunities do appear every so often!) on our job board or get in touch directly with our expert recruiters.
